Earth moving apparatus



Jan. 6, 1953 E. M. MOORE 2,624,415

EARTH MOVING APPARATUS Filed June '7, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet l InventorEmanuel M. Moore Jan. 6, 1953 E. M. MOORE EARTH MOVING APPARATUS 5She'ets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7, 1949 Inventor Emanuel M. Moore Jan. 6,1953 E. M.YMOORE EARTH MOVING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 7,1949 Inventor Emanuel M: Moore Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 2,624,415 EARTH MOVING APPARATUS Emanuel M. Moore, PineBluff, Ark. Application June 7, 1949, Serial No. 97,556

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structuralrefinements in machines for moving earth, and the principal object ofthe invention is to provide a device of the character herein described,such as may be conveniently and effectively employed for levelling theground, or for digging a trench, and at the same time, delivering thesoil which has been scraped up to a truck or wagon alongside theapparatus.

The provision of the instant machine embodies in its construction apower propelled chassis carrying a conveyor extending diagonally fromthe front to the rear of the chassis and provided at its forward endwith a ground-engaging scoop, this scoop being disposed at one side ofthe chassis while the conveyor transmits the'earth picked up by thescoop to the relatively opposite side and end of the chassis, so thatthe scooped material may be conveniently discharged into a truck orwagon travelling alongside thedischarge end of the conveyor.

The primary feature of the invention, therefore, resides in the mountingof the conveyor on the chassis, while another feature of the inventioninvolves the provision of means for raising and lowering the conveyorrelative to the chassis, so that the position of the scoop on theconveyor may be adjusted relative to the ground, in accordance with thedepth of cut desired.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of means onthe chassis for driving the conveyor notwithstanding the raising orlowering of the latter, and another featur of the invention involves theprovision of means for tilting the front wheels of the chassis so as tocounteract the force created by the contact of the scoop on the diagonalconveyor with the ground, thus materially assisting the apparatus inmaintaining a straight course.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of aground-engaging guide which is adjustably mounted at one 'side of thescoop, thus further assisting the apparatus in maintaining an evencourse.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its durability, and in its adaptability to economicalmanufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof, showing theconveyor and scoop in a somewhat raised position;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the chassis front axle andwheels;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary group perspective view illustrating thepivotal attachment of the beam, used in the invention, to the conveyor;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the subject shown inFigure 5, but in the assembled position;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the hydraulic system used inthe invention; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, partially broken away, andshowing the construction of the conveyor.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the inventionconsists of an earth-moving apparatus designated generally by thereference character [0, the same embodying in its construction anelongated chassis l2 having a front end l4 and a rear end l6, andincluding a set of front wheels [8 and pairs of dual rear wheels 20, aswill be clearly apparent.

At least a pair of the dual rear wheels 25} are driven through themedium of a gear box 22 by an internal combustion engine 24 with whichthe chassis I2 is provided, while the front wheels l8 are mounted at theends of a transverse, stationary axle 26 and are provided with theconventional steering mechanism 28.

However, it is to be noted that the axle 25 is pivotally connected atthe center thereof, as at 30, to a frame member 23 of the chassis l2,whereby the front wheels may follow irregularities of the ground.Moreover, the front wheels [8 are attached to the axle 26 by knuckles 34supported by horizontal pivots 36 with which the axle 2B is provided, sothat the wheels It? may be tilted away from substantially verticalplanes, as is best shown in Figure 4. The tilting of the wheels [8 iseffected by means of a pair of connecting rods 38 which are pivoted tothe knuckles 34 and are also pivotally connected to a bellcrank 4!!which is preferably mounted on the aforementioned pivot 30 connectingthe axle 26 to the frame member 32. By virtue of this arrangement, thewheels I8 are tilted in the same direction and the actual tiltingoperation is performed by means of a hydraulic cylinder 42 which 3 isattached to the frame member 32, as at 44, and is pivotally connected toone of the knuckles 34 by its piston rod 46.

A conveyor assembly :38 is provided on the chassis I2 and extendsdiagonally from one side at the front end of the chassis to therelatively opposite side at the rear end of the chassis, as is bestshown in Figure 3.

The front end of the conveyor :33 projects substantially beyond thefront end I4 of the chassis and carries what may be generally referredto as an earth-scraping and receiving scoop 5c.

The conveyor 43 simply consists of a pair of spaced parallel channels52, connected together by a plurality of cross members 54 (see Figure2), and an endless conveyor belt 56 passes over a plurality of rollers58 which are rotatably mounted on the upper flanges of the channels 52,as shown in Figure 8. I g

The belt 56 may be provided, if desired, with transverse slats 6B, andit is to be noted that the belt also passes around a pair of relativelylarge rollers 62, 64 provided at the ends of the conveyor assembly,substantially as shown.

The bottom run of the belt 56 simply slides along the bottom flanges ofthe channels 52, as is shown in Figure 8, and finally, concerning theconveyor structure, it may be stated that the aforementioned scoop isprovided at its forward edge with a scraping blade 66.

The conveyor assembly G8 is mounted on the chassis I2 in an inclinedposition so that the front end of the conveyor carrying the scoop 5B isdisposed adjacent the ground and at one side of the chassis, asillustrated in Figures 1 and 3. The rear end portion of the conveyorassembly is mounted on the chassis by means of a pair of support members63 which are pivotally connect'ed to the conveyor channels 52, as at it,and

are pivoted to the chassis, as at 12 (see Figure l). a

By virtue of this arrangement, the entire conveyor assembly may beraised and lowered relative to the chassis, and a pair of upwardlyextending guide members 72 are provided at the front end 14 of thechassis, at the sides of the conveyor channels 52, so that the conveyoris free to move in a vertical plane but is prevented from shiftinglaterally.

Before proceeding to discuss the means for raising and lowering theconveyor as, it may be explained that the purpose of the means fortilting the front wheels of the chassis as shown in Figure 4 is tocounteract the force created by the engagement of the blade E5 of thescoop 5b with the ground. That is to say, the scoop, being disposed atthe forward end of a conveyor which extends diagonally of the chassis,creates a tendency for the chassis to shift laterally, to the side atwhich the scoop is disposed. However, by tilting the front wheels I8 tothe relatively opposite side of the chassis, that tendency iscounteracted, and as a result the chassis is better able to travel in astraight line.

In order to further assist in guiding the chassis along a straight lineof travel, an elongated ground engag'ing guide in the form of a plate Mis pivotally connected by means of a vertical pivot I6 to the outer sideof the scoop 50 and extends in a plane which is substantially parallelto the longitudinal axis of the chassis, as is best shown in Figure 3. Asuitable adjusting screw I8 is provided on the conveyor 48 and engagesthe guiding plate '74, whereby the position of the latter relative tothe conveyor and chassis may be set. As the apparatus travels along theground 4 and the scoop 50 forms a trench in the ground, the plate I4slides along or against the outer side wall of such trench and therebyassists in maintaining the apparatu on a straight course.

The conveyor 48 is raised and lowered by hydraulic means, involving theprovision of a hydraulic cylinder which is pivoted to the frame of thechassis, as at ,82, and includes a reciprocable piston rod 84 which, inturn, is pivotally connected as at 86 to an upwardly projecting portion88 of a beam 90. This beam is of substantially rigid construction and isswingable as a unit about a horizontal pivot assuming the form of ashaft 92 mounted in a transverse position on the frame of the chassisI2.

The beam is provided at its free end with a transverse shaft 94 which,in turn, i rotatable in suitable bearings 96 secured to a cross member98 provided on the under side of the channels 52 of the conveyor 48, andit will be apparent from the foregoing that reciprocation of thecylinder rod 84 will oscillate the beam 99, as shown at Hit in Figure 2(about the axis 92), thus raising and lowering the entire conveyor aboutthe pivot I2 on the chassis.

The arrangement of the hydraulic system in the invention is illustratedin the diagram of Figure '7, wherein I92 designates a hydraulic pump,Hi4 designates a reservoir, and I indicates a pressure relief valve, allthese components being of conventional types and being connected in aconventional manner to the hydraulic cylinders d2, 80, through themedium of respective control valves I08, Ill).

If desired, the pumpIGZ may be driven by the same engine 24 which isused for propelling the apparatus along the ground, and moreover, thesame engine may be used for driving th conveyor 4B.

This may be achieved by connecting the engine 24 by means of acountershaft I I2 and suitabl gearing I I4 to an upright shaft 1 I 6rotatably mounted on the frame of the chassis, which shaft, in turn, isconnected by a universal joint H8 to a telescopic shaft assembly I20consisting of two slidably telescoped members of polygonal crosssection.

The telescopic shaft assembly 28 is, in turn, operatively connected byan additional universal joint I 22 to a stub shaft I 24 and the latter,being rotatably mounted on the conveyor 48, is connected by suitablegearing l26 to the shaft I 28 on which the conveyor roller 64 issecured.

By means of this arrangement, drive from the engine 24 will betransmitted to the conveyor belt 55, and it is to be noted that theprovision of the telescopic shaft assembly I28 and the universal jointsH8, I22 will facilitate transmission of the drive to the conveyorregardless of the raising and lowering movement to which the conveyormay be subjected.

Finally, it is to be noted that a discharge chute I30 may be provided atthe upper end of the conveyor 48, so as to facilitate delivery ofmaterial from the conveyor directly into a truck or wagon which may betravelling alongside the apparatus when the latter is used.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly furtherdescription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the claimed as new is:

In an earth moving apparatus, the combinainvention, what is tion of anelongated chassis having front and rear ends and including a, pair offront wheels, motor driven means on said chassis for propelling the sameand means for tilting said front wheels about substantially horizontalaxes, said means 5 including an axle for said front wheels, knucklesconnecting said front wheels to said axle, a pair of connecting rodspivotally connected to said knuckles and to a bellcrank, said bellcrankbeing pivotally mounted on said axle, and means connected to one of saidknuckles for tilting the wheel mounted thereon and for tilting the otherof said front wheels through said connecting rods and bellcrankconnection.

EMANUEL M. MOORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 555,889 Robinson et a1. Mar. 3,1896 1,133,251 Adams Mar. 30, 1915 1,408,299 Holley Feb. 28, 19221,777,688 Chattin Oct. 7, 1930 2,044,315 McGuire June 16, 1936 2,125,007Ossing July 26, 1938 2,258,049 Doberstein Oct. 7, 1941 2,279,120 HurleyApr. 7, 1942 2,367,784 Knoizen et a1 Jan. 23, 1945

